Knitting machine



Feb. 16 1926. 1,573,018

J. P. PRIMM KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR www@ INF/fmvmf j' jx ATTORNEYS J. P. PRIMM KNITTING MACHINE W Filed June 19, 1925 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 EL@ .J 4. e ,F

n Y' 1 (Cl l ,ia J Y I l WITNESSES INVENTOR (25? W 'M V6 y fluff-mw MJ/,Mt /A ISL/@m ATTORNEYS Feb. 16 1926.

J. P. PRIMM KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1925 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR lnum naamw BY l' L/ 66M( ATroRNx-:Ys

Feb. 16 i926.

J. P. PRIMM KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 19 1925 7 SheetS-Sheeb 5 REGULAR WHITE 1N VENTOR TTR/2 7 L77 Y L "y B M ai@ ATTORNEYS WHITE; FOR .B LOC/(S Feb. 16 1926.

J. P. PRIMM KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR e 7, Ziff/1127729770 ATTORNEYS Feb., i6 H926.,

J. P. PRIMM KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1925 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR J'Elrftmm BY L /Zf f WITNESSES ATTORNEYS "Patented Feb. 16

UNITsD-S'TATES PATENT. OFFICE.'

JOSEPH PARKS or noun, GEORGIA, AssIoNoE OF ONE-THIRD Iro HENRY J3..

BEERY Alm UoNE-THIED To JOHN n. EEREY, Born OE ROME, GEORGIA.

I Application ale-'d :nu is, ma :seran-xo. 38,263'.

To dll/whom t concern.'

Beit known that I, JOSEPH PARKS Piuma, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rome, in the county of Floyd and State of' Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

-This invention relates to ximprovements in knitting machines, and it consists of the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described 'andfclaimed An object of the invention is to convert a single-feed stocking knitting machine into a two-.feed striping machine.

Anotherobject -O vthe linvention is to provide a special cam plate for so controlling the auxiliary stitch cam of a two-feed stocking knitting machine that said auxliliaryl stitch cam canbe thrown out periodif cally to miss predetermined groups Ofshort butt needles and temporarily stop the knitting function thereof thereby to float l" the yarn (which would otherwise be employed by said needles) under the latches of said lshort-butt needles and produce a prearranged design.

Another object of the -invention is' to pro vide appropriate lugs onv the pattern chain tocause a step motion of the special cam plate at appropriate times.

Another object ofthe invention is to ro,-A

vide a special cam plate for so control ing the auxiliary cam that said cam will be moved out only suliciently far to avoidor release the short needle ybutts thereb to float the yarn under thelatches o the short butt needles.

Other objects and advantages appear in the following specification lreference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure lis a diagram of a portion of stocking produced by the 'n'lach-ine, illustrating the design hereinafter referred to.

Figure 2 is a diagram Aof a portion of the .fabric on an enlarged scale to particularly illustrate the effect of iioating the yarn.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of a knitting machine to which the invention is applied.

Figure 4 is a cross section taken substantially on thesline 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 4is a detail i cross section taken 'substantially on the line 5--5 of Figure 3 particularly illustrating the. im roved cam plate and the adjustable lobes t ereon.

Figure 6 is a detail elevation of the auxil-,f

iary cam showing it in the displaced posif tion wherein it misses the short b uttneedlesg Figure 7 is a diagram .illustrating theI action off the needle butts while the auxiliary cam 1s 1n.

Figure 8 is a similar diagram illustrating the action of the needle butts while the auxiliary cani is displaced.

Figure 9 isa vdiagramma-tic perspective illustrating the cam action upon the various yarn fingers.

Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the action occurring when making the cutting stripe.

Figure 11 1s a diagram of a modification wherein the existing cam drum is employed j I for the urposes of the invention.

This invention, while being concerned -'more particularly with the conversion of van ordinary stocking knitting machine into a machine forv producing a fabric of prear- 'ranged desi n, has embodiedv therein the principles o thefim roved cam box disclosed in my co-pen ingapplication for Letters Patent filed June, 14, 1924, Serial Number 720,030.

Accordingto the invention in that application, the arrangement is such' that the stitches, when looped by the needles, rest immediately below the needle hooks 'where' they are held by the sinkers. This provision preserves an initial looseness in the loopedv stitches, resulting in a number of advantages prmclpalfmong'which area reduction in the tension on the yarn, a morei re" mote likelihood of breaking the yarn, redue-` ing the wear Onthe needles, etc.v

`accepting the forcgoingbrie'fstatement it is deemed unnecessary to enlarge upon the rior invention because that is covered by 51o disclosure mentioned. 'The present invention .consists largely of an attachment to an existing'stocking knitting machine lof the rotary needle cylinder type. To make a direct statement,sthe invention com rises a cam plate gener-all designated 1 Figs. 3'and 5). It has a pl'lu rality of depressions 2,3 and 4 produced by a plurality of out# The courses 8, 9 and 10 may be regarded as l thus floate stripes, but by virtue ofthe fact thatone color of yarn is floated beneath the latches of certain roups of needles, the strands l? are not knitted into the fabric and 'the ultimate appearance is that of courses of checksor blocks.

Provision is made for the addition or subtractionof cam plate lobes.. Taking any instance as an example, the lobe has a slot 11 through'which a'threaded pin 12 may be screwed into the cam plate 1. -In practice the cam plate Will be made so that m'ore or less depressions can be produced by simply adding, subtracting or Y adjusting lobes, thereby in turn controlling the number of courses of blocks in the ultimate design.

Pivoted upon 1a countershafti 13 is a rocker 14 the hardened end'v 15 ofwhieh is held against the periphery ofthe cam plate 1 by a spring 16 that exerts its. contracting in'-` fluence through the connected auxiliary bar 17. Dropping of the end-15 into a cam plate depression is accompanied by a .downward motion of the auxihary bar.

A rest 18 on theauxiliary bar provides the support for one end of a pivoted lever 19, 'the opposite end of which has an adjustable screw 20 (or the like) to bear against the beveled head 21 of theV auxiliary cam 22. When the end 15 drops, as stated, the

left end of the lever 19 moves u ward permitting a spring 23 (Fig. 6) to isplace the cam 22 outwardly suiiicientlyfar toA miss the short vbutts 24 butV not the long butts 25. Riding of the end- 15 uponrany lobe of cam plate 1 will have the reverse effect of moving the cam 22 inwardly so that both the long and short butts are deflected.

The rotary needle cylinder 26 carries needles 27 (Fig- 7) according to custom. The short and long butts, previously mentioned, are for convenience regarded as being those of the needles, although the butts may in fact be thoseof needle jacks that are sometimes used. In Figures 7 and 8 the short butts 24 are shown in solid black to distinguish from the long butts 25 that are left open. According to the example chosen, the needle cylinder carries needles arranged in groups of tive of long and short butts, but it is an obvious expedientl to li'` vide the total number of needles into groups of more or less of each kind. I p

. Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the effect of the operation of the auxiliary cam 22. The needles are idle while the butts 24 and 25 traverse the horizontal circumferential plane 28. Atthis time the needle hooks 29 are v elevated,

31 when the cheeks 4and latches of the needles are thrust through previously-looped stitches t0 clear the latches. lvhile traversing the `zone from B to C the needle hooks 29 take hold ofthe yarn at the auxiliary feed point preparatory to looping the stitch in the zone from C to D.

Figure 7 shows the auxiliary cami22 inposition to defiect all needle butts downwardly for the performanceof the looping function. Should one of the cam plate depressions 2, 3 or 4 have caused the displacement of the auxiliary cam (Fig. 6) only the long butt needles 25 would be deiected downwardly in the stitch looping zene C to D while the lshort butts 24 passen in the plane to which they were elevated by the cam 31. The result is thatthe yarn supplied at the auxili-' ary feed point simply ioats behind the groups of live of short butt needles thus left producing the eii'ect in Figure 1 and the fa rie in Figure 2. s

While traversing the zone from D to E a earn 32 elevates the needles to take the yarn from the main feed point preparatory to again loop stitches in the zone from E to F.

After the stitchesvare formed the needle e butts traversethe zone 28, mentioned before,

the needle hooks remaining situated within the sinkers and thereby holding the stitches in a loose condition immediately below'the hooks. s A

A'lug 33 on the pattern chainv 34 is the second added element forming part ofthe invention. .At the appropriate time this lug rides beneath and raises the dog 35 there-- by'permitting the pawl 36 to fall upon the periphery of the cam ratchet 37. At this time it becomes necessary to describe the structure of the existing machine because it is necessary to understand this, in part at least, so that the association of the invention may in turn be understood. The cam ratchet 37 1s fixed upon the cam shaft 38 by which the cam plate 1 is carried. The cam plate is secured at 39 to one of a train of gears 40, 41 and 42, the last of these turning the cam drum 43.

The pawl 36 has an eccentric mounting at 44 upon the hub 45 of the quadrant 46, and

when the pawl 36 is permitted to drop upon' the'periphery of the cam ratchet 37 the reeiprocatory motion of the pawl (of which it constantly partakes) serves to turn the shaft 38 in the counter-clockwise direction by viitue of the engagement of the pawl with an appropriate one of the numerous recesses or teeth vof the cam ratchet. 'lliis turn results 'in a corresponding turn of the cam plate 1.

of gears 49 and 50 (Fig. 4) and the oscillation of the quadrant 46 by lvirtue of the crank pin and link connections at 51 and 52. The main shaft 47 'also carries a beveled gear 53 (Fig. 3) to drive the needle cylinder 26 by means of a gear 54 upon the l-atter. The oscillation of the quadrant produces a con-- tinuous step motionof the pattern chain 34 by virtue of the action of a second pawl 55 that is eccentrically connected at 56 to the hub 45. This pawl actuates a ratchet 57, the side of which carries a sprocket upon which the pattern chain is hung.

Supplementing the striper lug 33 (so called because of its function) is a plurality of lugs 76, these being incorporated in the pattern chain according to a spacing determined by practice. These lugs have a coaction with a kick-offpawl 77, pivotally carried at 78 upon an a-rm 79 which rocks freely and inde endently upon the same rod 80 upon whic the dog 35 rocks. The rocking of the arm 79' occurs at each revolution of the main shaft 47, and is produced by a cam-81 with which the rocker arm makes contact. The resulting reciprocating motion of the kiek-I of pawl produces turns of the earn drum 43 at such'tiine when one or the other of two-sets of teeth 82 and v83 has been advanced into range of lthe kick-oli' pawl.

Such. advancement occurs upon turning of the cam drum through the gear train 40, 41 and 42 by the cam ratchet 37 and cam shaft 38. The subsequent action of the kick-oli' pawl 77 for a briefl period then turns the cam drum,l the train of gearing, the shaft 38 and the cain ratchet 37. This latter actionA is coincidental with the knitting of what is herein known as the green cutting. stripe 64, and contributes to they advancement of. the cam plate 1 from the particular relative position in Figure 4 (at which. time the green cutting stripe is about to be made) to such position when the rockery end 15 drops into the first depression 2; v

The auxiliary and main feed points, mentioned ing connection with Figures 7 and 8 are respectively designated 58 and 59 in Figure- 3. Yarn 60, of a color herein known as camel, is supplied at the auxiliary feed 58. Yarns 6l, 62 and 63 are fedat the main point 59. Of these 61 is green, for the cutting stripe 64 and the green blocks 9 (Fig. l), 62 is White for the white ,blocks 8 and l() and 63 is the regular white to alternate with the camel in the spaces between the courses mentioned. Suitable bobbinsv (not shown) supply the various colors of yarn, and in the case of the main feed 59 the various yarns 61, 62 and 63 are guided by yarn fingers 65, 66 and 67 (Figs. 9 and 10). Then the fingers are up the respective yarns are held out of reach of the needles, but when down dispose the yarns into reach of the needles I so that the particular colors of yarn are knitted into the fabric. Bars 68, 69 and 70 support the respective yarn -fingers. These are capableof vbeing'lifted by cams on' the drum 43. To avoid needless duplication of description, such of the vcams involved are s ecifically' mentioned in the description o the operation. The reader can' understand that. continuous rotation of the main shaft 47 (Fig. 4) willl produce continuous reciprocation 'of' the pawls 36, 55 and '77. The pawl 55 acts each time to move the cam shaft 38 Aforward one step,`but the pawl 36 does not become active until one of the several lugs on the pattern chain 34 raises the dog 35 and lets the pawl 36 down upon the cam ratchet 37.

Assume the striper lug 33 as having reached and raised the dog 35A (Fig. 10). The resulting engagement of the pawl 36 with the cam ratchet 37 and reciprocation.

thereof produces a suiicient turn of they i cam drum 43 to let the bar 68 (Figs. 9 and 10) drop into the depression 7l and lower the green yarn finger 65 for the knitting of the course 64 (Fig. 1), already known as the green cutting sti'ipe. v

Up to the time -off dropping into thel depression 71 the bar 68 was held .up lby a cam 72. The bar 69 is held upy upon av cam 73, but thel bar. 70 occupied a depres! sion 74 so that regular white yarn 63 was knitted in alternation with camel yarn 60. Upon dro ping of the bar 68 the bar 70 is raised y a cam 75 so thatgreen yarn only is knitted in alternation with camel varn.

' At the particular time assumed the afore mentioned lturn of the cam4 drum brings the first, set of teeth 82 into-.range of the kick-ofi' vpawl 77 whereupon the kick-oil" pawl imparts a succession of turns to lthe 'cam drum commensurate with the extentof thel depression 71. At the end of; this time the bar 68 will be raised by the? cam f 84 bto lift the green yarn fingerr65 out of action, and the bar 70 will be dropped into the de ression.85 to lower the regular white yar-n nger 67. lThe green cutting stripe 64A (Fig. l) has now been made and thegknitting of the fabric 86, alternating caiiiel 60,

and regular white 63, proceeds.

Immediately after the striper the kick-ofi' pawl 77 perform` their respective described functions the series offlugs 76 (Fig. 4) successively lift the dog35 and pei-init the pawl 36 to produce such succession of turns of' the cam rratchet 37 as will advance the cam )late 1 in the countei'- clockwise direction roiiiv tlieposition in Figure l() to'that position whereinthe first lug andi' depression 2 coiiiesiiiiider the rocker end 15 allowing the latter to drop in. `The time period over which the action of the lugs iso 76, dog 35 and pawl 36 extends equals the I time period required for knitting the camel result.

and white fabric, in the course 86 (Fig. 1).

In the meantime the cam drum 43 has been/ turned sufiiciently far to let the bar- 69 (/F ig. 9) drop into a depression 87 thus lowering the yarn finger 66 and introducing the substitute white yarn 62. At the same time a cam 88 raises the bar 70 and yarn finger 67 lifting the regular white yarn 63 out of reach of the needles. The foregoing dropping of the end 15 of the rocker 14 into the first depression 2 loosens up on the pivoted lever 19 (Fig. 5) so that the spring'` 23 (Fig. 6) can move theauxiliary cam 22 out suiiiciently far to avoid the short butts 24.

The operation is now changed from that in which both short and long butt needles tre deflected by the auxiliary cam 22 (Fig. 7) to knit camel 60 and regular white yarn 63 into the fabric to that in which only the groups of long butt needles 25 are deflected by the auxiliary cam 22 (Fig. 8)' to knit substitute white yarn 62 into the fabric. The inaction of the short butt needles 24, resulting from missing the auxiliary cam 22, leaves the hooks of those needles in a plane so high above the sinker line 30 that the camel yarn introduced at the auxiliary feed 58 merely rests or floats beneath the latches of said needles.

Reference is now made to Figure 2 for the The wales or ridges produced by the segregated groups of long butt needles 25 are indicated at 89, 90, 91, 92 and 93. The first course of white yarn isthat of substitute white 62. The next course is that of camel 60. Instead of thecourses of camel yarn being meshed with the courses of substitute white yarn at the wales 89, etc., said; camel yarn is dropped at the point 94 and permitted to float at 95 behind the five inactive needles involvedl and behind the stitches produced by the active needles. The stitches in the wales 89, etc., are simply slightly elongated to compensate for the missing camel yarn in the courses 60.

White blocks as in the course 8 (Fig. 1) are the production of floating the camel yarn. After a sufficient period has ela sed to knit the desired length of white bloc s 8 a cam 96 (Fig. 9) lifts the yarn finger 66 l out of action and the bar 70 drops into a depression 97 to return the regular white yarn finger 67 into action to knit regular white yarn in alternation with camel yarn in the course'98 (Fig. 1) between the first white blocks 8 and the greenblocks 9.

The green yarn finger is let into action by the dropping of the bar 68 (Fig: 9) into a depression 99. the regular White yarn finger 67 being lifted by the raising of the bar by a cam 100. The substitute white yarn finger 66 remains held up by the cam 96, and does not come' into action again until the bar 69 drops into a depression 101 when the appropriate time arrives for the making of the second course'of white blocks 10 (Fig. 1).

It is believed obvious in Fi ure 2 how the green yarn 61 is meshed wit the camel yarn 60. i At this time the action of the mechanism .will have been such that the second depression 3 of the cam plate 1 has again permitted the displacement of the auxiliary cam 22 (Fig. 6) so that the action in Figures 7 and 8 is repeated in respect to the green yarn. The camel yarn is fioated in back of the green yarn producing solid green blocks, the fabric between `the green blocks in the course 9 (Fig. 1 being of a dark shade because of the alternation of camel and green. The cam lobe 6 came into action to restore the auxiliary cam 22 to its original innermost position (Fig. 7) for the knitting of the camel and white course 98 after the first white blocks 8 had been completed.

The modification in Figure 11 illustrates an arrangement by which the auxiliary cam 22El can be controlled by the addition of appropriate cams on the drum 43, instead of by a cam plate mounted upon the cam shaft 38. Here the auxiliary bar 17a is equipped with a roller 102 to ride upon the face of the cam drum. The auxiliary bar is guided in a suitable bracket 103 on the frame of the machine, and 'as the bar is` 'operative two-color yarn feed to produce a fabric in which said colors alternate, a normally inactive third-color yarn feed, a drum having cams to control the action of the individual feeds, a cam shaft from which is derived power to turn the drum,` continuously acting means in readiness to operate the cam shaft, and 'a pattern chain associated with the cam shaft; in combination a special lug on said pattern chain 'f causing action of said continously actin means thereby to operate the cam shaft an turn the cam drum to render inoperative one color yarn of the two-color feed and render the third-color yarn feed operative to produce a cutting stripe in said fabric.

2. A knitting machine having two classes of needles. a plurality of yarn feeds, cam means including an auxiliary cam for actuating` the needles of both classes to loop stitches 'at the yarn feeds, a cam shaft with turning means therefor, and a pattern chain associated with the' cam shaft; in combina- Y tion a plurality of lugson the chain one Vcam shaft having depressions and lobes, and

means coming into range of said depressions ,10 and lobes upon appropriate turning of the cam shaft by virtue of the action of the remaining lugs after the completion of said cutting stripe and the knit fabric following to cause a periodic displacement and replacement lof said auxiliary cam to alternately avoid the needles of one class, floating the yarn 'of the adjacent feed under the latches of saidl needles and producing a prearranged design.

` I JOSEPH PARKS PRIMM. 

